city of stars
by shelivesfree
Summary: A dedicated jazz musician. An aspiring actress. When their lives collide, magic happens. An AU based on Damien Chazelle's 'La La Land'.
1. winter: part one

**Author's Note:** So, if you haven't seen _La La Land_ yet then I implore you to. The sheer brilliance and majesty of that film literally rocked me to my core, and ever since I have been struck with this idea. I'm trying a different writing style I hope you appreciate. But I just _had_ to write it!

 _Please review! :)_

* * *

 _ **winter: part one**_

 _Padme_

"Ugh! I'm going to be _so_ late!"

Coruscant traffic could really be the absolute _worst._ Especially when one had an important audition to attend and had left just a _little_ too late because her hair had decided to have... _issues._ Which was the case for 25 year old Padme Amidala. Who was currently stuck in a carpark on the main entrance to the highway. Honestly, she'd been sitting in idle for so long, a surprise musical number could have happened on top of all the cars and she wouldn't have even been surprised.

 _Breathe. Relax. You can't control the traffic._

To take her mind of her stressful situation, Padme reached over to retrieve the script that lay on the passenger seat of her red _Prius_ and re-read her lines. She knew them by heart already, having rehearsed them every single night for the past month, but, there was never enough times one could rehearse a script. She had learnt that particular lesson a year ago at (yet another) unsuccessful audition.

 _BEEP!_

"Shit!" Padme jolted, almost jumping out of her seat, at the sound of that obnoxiously _loud_ horn.

She glanced up at the rear view mirror to see a man in a vintage _Mustang_ , visibly swearing and throwing his arms up in frustration, behind her. Padme glared right back at him, before looking ahead, to see that the traffic had moved forward considerably and yet _she_ hadn't moved at all.

 _Oops._

With an apologetic wave of her hand, Padme quickly discarded her script and hurriedly put her _Scarlette_ (her pet name for her car) in drive, speeding onto the highway. As she merged with the on-coming traffic, the man behind her zipped passed her, engine revved high. He was staring at her as he did so, and when Padme looked over at him, their eyes met.

Later that afternoon, when she'd come home to her apartment with puffy red eyes and a miserable demeanour, as indicative of an aspiring actress being interrupted during _another_ audition, and was consoled by her three roommates, she couldn't help but think back to that strange, angry, impatient man who'd been behind her in the traffic. And his eyes.

Striking blue eyes.


	2. winter: part two

**Author's Note:** I will be alternating between Padme and Anakin's POV. I hope you enjoy this next vignette!

 _Please review! :)_

* * *

 ** _winter: part two_**

 _Anakin_

 _What an eye sore!_ The blond haired man thought bitterly as he sipped his bitter coffee with a bitter expression on his face.

The whole situation was dreadfully bitter, if he was being honest. An absolute disgrace! How could they turn such a lively, distinguished, jazz club into a salsa and tapas bar for the uncultured and uneducated _millennial_ generation so quickly?!

Anakin Skywalker had once performed at that jazz bar. He could remember it vividly as though it was yesterday... him tickling the ivories of that luxurious grand piano, whilst a vibrant saxophone and low, sultry vocals accompanied the syncopated rhythm... He'd been so close. So _terribly_ close to calling that place his own. But, as fate would have it, when he'd finally saved enough money to buy the place out, it had already been sold. Within weeks, Anakin's dream had been crushed to smithereens, and in their place, a modern, ugly, blasphemous, second-best replacement.

He hated it. Hated it with a passion. Wanted to walked right up to the front doors and smash them in with a hammer.

Instead, Anakin simply sat at the coffee shop across the road and watched it... the place that had once brought him so much joy. Now, it simply left him with a bitter taste in his mouth.

Grumbling under his breath, he tucked the newspaper under his arm and took his takeaway coffee mug in hand, heading back inside the coffee shop to return the paper.

 _Crash!_

 _"_ Oh, crap!" a female's voice cursed.

Shaking his head from the sudden jolt, Anakin looked down at his crisp linen shirt to see it completely ruined with coffee stains. " _God dammit_!"

Lifting his gaze, he saw a distressed young barista in front of him, her brown hair pulled back into a bun, and her dark eyes wide with embarrassment.

"Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry, sir. I didn't see you."

 _Today is going well,_ Anakin thought to himself wryly as he glared at the woman before him. "Watch where you're going!"

He shoved the paper into her hands and then left the coffee shop to speed away in his vintage _Mustang,_ feeling all the more bitter than he had before.


	3. winter: part three

**Author's Note:** Here's the next chapter! I hope you're liking this so far! Also... HAPPY STRAYA DAY to all my lovely fellow Aussies out there! I'm off to celebrate with beer!

 _Please review!_

* * *

 _ **winter: part 3**_

 _Padme_

As soon as Padme was outside, she breathed a sigh of relief. When she'd come home distraught and miserable after her humiliating audition (not to mention the fact that she'd bumped into a man at work and made him spill his coffee all over himself), her three roommates had pounced, announcing that what she needed most was a night out. No amount of protesting had done her any good, however, and an hour later she'd found herself all dolled up in a pretty, royal blue dress and bright yellow heels, at an unknown rich person's mansion drinking cocktails by the swimming pool and dodging older men who attempted to hit on her.

Of course, at any other moment in her life, Padme would have relished the opportunity to attend a socialite party with her three roommates. But given the current circumstances, all she wanted to do was curl up in her bed with a tub of _Ben & Jerry's _and watch re-runs of _Sex and the City._ After two hours of bored pointless chatter with egotistical, wealthy socialites, Padme bid goodbye to Sabe, Dorme and Teckla and decided to take a stroll through the chilly, Coruscanti air.

Her quiet musings were soon interrupted by the alluring melody of a piano, coming from inside a secluded restaurant. Curiously, Padme opened the door and walked inside. Immediately, her attention was occupied by the pianist in the centre of the room. His head was bowed and his eyes closed as his long, elegant fingers danced across the keys, playing a sorrowful, emotional melody. The way his entire body swayed with the music... she had never seen anything like it, anyone so _dedicated_ and _in tune_ with their task.

He was the most beautiful man she'd ever seen.

Suddenly, he stopped playing and lifted his head, his eyes fixed straight on her. Incredibly _blue_ eyes.

Her mouth fell open as she realised who this man was; the one who'd been driving behind her in the traffic earlier that day. She wanted to go over to him, to talk to him, but all she could do was stand rooted to the spot, transfixed by this complete stranger.

Just when he looked like he was going to say something, the restaurant manager approached him and they broke out in a heated argument, that ended in the pianist slamming the lid of the piano shut and storming out the door. As he strode determinedly past Padme, she swallowed thickly and summoned her courage.

"I just wanted to say, I heard you play. You're amazing," she praised him with a bright smile on her face.

All he did was glare at her, eyes as cold as ice, and brush past her rudely, bumping into her shoulder.


	4. winter: part four

**Author's Note:** Hope you enjoy this next chapter.

 _Please review! :)_

* * *

 **winter: part four**

 _Anakin_

"Now remember the set list I've prepared for you. It's nearly Christmas, and the people want to listen to Christmas music!"

The restaurant manager droned on and on with his demands and expectations, and Anakin pretended to listen, nodding his head and occasionally muttering, "Yes", "Of course", "Right, Sir." He'd been performing at this restaurant for about three months now, playing the piano during dinner service. It wasn't something he enjoyed, mainly because none of the customers seemed to notice, or even care, that he was there, and the manager had very _strict_ ideas about the type of music he could play. Boring, cliche, classical music.

All he wanted was to play jazz.

And so, when dinner service began, he sat down at the baby grand and began playing _"Jingle Bells"_ with limited enthusiasm. It wasn't as though anyone was watching him any way. He didn't need to put any effort into it.

After two hours of playing Christmas music, Anakin's patience grew thin. He looked around, to see if anyone was, indeed, watching him. As expected, the few customers that were left were too engrossed in muffled conversation to pay attention to him, and so he took the opportunity.

Just as he was really getting into it, his eyes closed, his entire body swaying and rocking as he jammed out his own improvisation, he was approached by the restaurant manager.

"Mr. Skywalker? What are you playing?"

He looked up reluctantly, unable to stop his facial expression was displaying his irritation at being interrupted. "Oh... just something I've been working on. I thought it would be..."

"You're supposed to be playing Christmas music!" the restaurant manager reminded him sternly. "I gave you the set list. That was the agreement."

Frowning, Anakin stood up. "Well, yes, but I've finished the set list. No one is really listening anyway. I thought a change of mood would..."

"You thought. See, that's the problem, Mr. Skywalker. What you _think_ doesn't matter. What I want matters. And what I want is for you to play the Christmas set list that we play every night for the month of December. So if that's too hard for you to do, then I will just have to find someone who can."

Pride hurt, Anakin slammed the lid of the piano shut and growled, "Fine!", before storming out the restaurant. As he approached the door, a woman stepped in front of him, a bright smile on her face. Her brown hair and dark eyes seemed familiar, but Anakin couldn't place where he'd seen her before. If he was in a better mood and hadn't just had his creativity insulted by an ignorant, middle-aged restaurant manager, he would've appreciated how pretty she was, but he was too infuriated to pay much attention.

"I just wanted to say, I heard you pay. You're amazing."

A deep scowl on his face, Anakin brushed passed her, bumping into her shoulder. The last thing he needed was sympathy praise, especially from a pretty young woman.


End file.
